A Plate Designed to Drain Grease Away From Your Dinner

Thailand has a major obesity problem. The country has the second-highest obesity rate in Southeast Asia. However, changing people’s eating habits is notoriously difficult. So the Thai Health Promotional Foundation, an autonomous government organization that supports health initiatives, decided to redesign their plates instead, DesignTAXI reports.

Specifically designed for Thai food, the AbsorbPlate has a sponge-like design that soaks up grease from noodles or stir-fry. It won’t make your Pad Thai completely healthy, but it will blot off excess grease that would otherwise go into your body. According to the creators, the plate’s 500 holes (which look similar to a Chinese checkers board) slough off an estimated 0.2 ounces of oil per meal. It seems to be just a concept right now, but it could be an effortless way to cut a few calories out of meals.

Recent research has found that low-fat diets may not actually be that effective in preventing obesity and heart disease, but what exactly constitutes a healthy diet is hard to pin down—even for nutritionists. Some studies have even found that eating fried foods might not be so unhealthy. But most diet recommendations contain some component of that old adage “everything in moderation,” so sloughing off a little grease from your daily noodles probably isn’t such a bad idea.

All images via YouTube.